Gyroscope-spinning mechanism.



F. M. LEAVITT.

GYROSCOPE SPINNING MEC'HANISM. APPLICATION FILED FEB.1.1911.

1,291,031. Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

FLL; J.

Wfl/IMA m" "/Z/ INVENTOR:

S /l- I @hamm/k 'YYL By flor/1 ejs,

F. M. LEAVIITT.

GYROSCOPE SPINNING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I. 1917.

1,291,031. Patented. Jan. 14, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JWLLQ'. 6.

l? i511 l INVENTOR WITNESSES; @www h1. 51ml-, Wi By owleg/s,

/D-m *n/ L UNITED STATES PATENT oEEicE.

FRANK M. .LEAVITT, OF SMlTHTOWN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 E. W. BLISS COMPANY,

l OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION 0F WEST-VIRGINIA.

GYnoscoPE-SPINNING MEcHAmsM.

To all lwhom t niay concern Be it known that I, FRANK M. LEAvri'r, a citizenY of the United States of America, residing at Smithtown, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented certain new land useful Improvements in Gyroscope Spinning Mechanisms,-of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for spinning up and releasing a gyroscope, such as are used in the nisms of automo ile torpedoes. The invention is applicable also to other gyroscopic deits pinion is moved out of plane with that on the {1y-wheel, and atthe same instant the4 bal rings of the oscope are set free by eiifliilidrawing the loc 'ng bolt. v

The present invention .relates to gyroscopes having spinning devices 'of the type just described, and'itsl object 1s to-equalize the spinning torque, whereb to protect the pivotal bearings from un ue straln and avoid throwing the delicate mechanism out of symmetry. p

The invention will be described with reflerence to the accompanying drawings which illustrate itsl application to the well-known form 'of gyrosco e used in the steering mechanism ofautomo ile torpedoes.

Figure 1 is a plan-of the apparatus partly in horizontal section, on the line 1-1 in Fig: 4:,

ig. 2 is a vertlcal transverse sectlon on the planes indicated by the lines 2-2 in igj is a vertical mid-section on the plane of the line 3 3 in Fig. 4:;

Fi 4 is a vertical transverse section on the p ane of the line 4-4 i n Fig.. 3

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary .horizontal'section f on the plane of the line 5`5 in Fig. 2

Fig. 6- is a vertical section similar Fig.

Specication of Letters Patent.

roscopicsteering mechaf Patented Jan. 14, 19.19.

Application led February 1, 1917. Serial No. 145,854

3, but showing the parts after the spinning up and unlocking functions have been performed.

Fig. 7 yis a side elevation looking'in the contrary direction from Fig. 3, and partly Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view, being a skeleton elevation of the'y-wheel and drivl in shafts.

eferring/ to the drawings, A indicates any suitable support or base on which/the incloslng shell B of the gyroscope is mounted. The shell B is shown made up'of several members, the sole function of this shell being to form a water-tight and substantially air-tight chamber for. inc losing the gyroscope proper. C isl the gyroscope"w hich comprises the usual fly-wheel a on its spindle b, which is pivotally hung in the normally horizontal inner. gimbal ring c, which in turn is pivoted in the outer .gimbal ring d, these rings constitutingf the usual cardan suspension,v or universal mounting, the outer `ring being hung by'pivots'on a vertical axis in any suitable stationarysupport, which in this instance is formed by inner projections or pivotal bosses from the shell B. The piv- `as shown at e and'f. The inner ring c is preparatory to and yduring the spinning, held locked by a .bolt g, 'the end of which -enters a socket in the ringl (preferably alined with thel axis of the ily-wheel) this bolt being withdrawn at the end of the spinning to set the gyroscope. free. f

' The parts thus far described are most commonly provided in gyroscopes for torpedo steering mechanisms.' Forspinning up the fly-wheel it 'is commonly rovided with aV pinion-:l (preferably duplicated as show n) which is inmesh with 'a pinion lon a dr1ving. shaft D, lwhich shaft passes through a.

oriiices, so that it impinges upon the teethof the turbine and rotates theflatter,fan 1 thereby -revolves theshaft D and through the in vertical section, on the line 7-7 in Fig. 5 gotal'bearings are preferablyball bearings, v

intermeshing pinions spins' up the il -wheeL Heretofore'there has beenprovi ed ,only one shaft D with its turbine and pinion, the latter consequently engaging the pimon h manner Aconduits lo are shown, from each-ofwhich at only one point and consequently imparting an unbalanced torque to the latter. My invention is based on the conception that this unbalanced torque is a disadvantagein that it throws a side strain onthepivotbearings, and

to the extent of the slight play necessarily al lowed in ball bearings it throws the fly-wheel axis out of line. By a lateral crowding of the it is spun upand its resistance due to its inertia overcome without an lateral crowd'- ing of its bearings, and with quent generation ofvfrictional retardation, and without any displacement of its normal axis of rotation.

To this end I duplicate '.(or otherwise multiply) the driving shaft D with its pin-f ion 'c' and turbine E.' APreferably I employ two such shafts, the one 4D-being shown as arranged above the iy-wheel axis while its mate D is placed beneath it. The shaft'D has a pinion'c"and aturbine E', which are duplicates of the pinion iV and turbine E. Thetwo shafts D DY are carried in parallel sliding bushings y' and y, ywhich are suitably connected together, so'that at the momentof yunlockin the two bushings move simultaneously an carryithe twoshafts with them vto move the pinlons z' i out ofmesh with the pinion 7L. v

The invention goes astep further in that it also equalizes the driving-torqueupon theA respective turbines Il"v E. Instead ofglriving each turbine by" an air jet or jets against 'one side, it is driven by iets against diametrically opposite sides so that the driving effect is balanced, thereby avoiding any side 'thrust of the turbineshafts against their bearings and hence causing themto rotate with the nearest approach to ideal. absence of friction. This result is' accomplished by arrangingthe air conduits an'djets in the est shown in Fig. 4, -where two lead jet orifices Z Z which are arranged to 1 direct'their jets against diametrically yopposite points on-each of the turbines .In the arrangement lshown the compressed air enters through the duct F, wherebyv it is led to the center of the top -s'ide pf the shell 4B, whence it assesthrough a swivel joint F into a con uit F2 which leads lto' a valve chamber m in which is a stop valve n, and from the outlet' side` of this valve two con- .duits o o lead to the conduits k k. The

pu ose of the vswivel joint Fis to permit of e angular displacement of the gyroscopeout any conse- '13, 14, 15, the latterbeinga se for what in automobile practice is termed an angle fire, this, however, being a feature vwhich has no necessary connection with the present invention. I The purpose of the valve' n is to shut o" the compressed air atthe end of the spinning operation.

As with prior .spinning mechanisms of this character, the construction is such that the spinning operation plroceeds for a time suflic-ient'to speed up t e iiy-wheel to .the desired velocity; the time required for this is `determined by the operation' of a timing mechanism;l when the latter is moved through a predetermined cycle. correspondin to the time required, .it operates the unloc gfmechanism. This is ordinarily in the nature of a trip -device which is released vscope rlngs; the unlocking of the gyroscope by the withdrawal of the bolt g; and the shiitting oft' ofthe compressed air bythe closing of the valve n. The unmeshingof the pinions` is accomplished bythe displace-v ment of the shafts-D D', which incidentally i displaces the turbines out of the planes of' their'j ets, so that they may cease to bedriven even before the .closing of thevalve n. These functions are performed in the specific mechanism illustrated, by the means now to be described. One of the shafts D D (asfshown, the shaft D) has a pinion 10 which drives the timing gear or train 11 12, o gment lbest shown in F1g..7. `At the beginning of the operation this segment is in its lowest position; as the spinnlng proceeds the driving of the train slowly lifts the vsegment until when it has ryan to a predetermined extent (corresponding to the, necessary elapsed time) it lifts the pawl gb, the lifting of which J4releases 'the unlocking mechanism. AAs

shown,- this pawl normally engages thev angular projection p of a transverse pivot piece g hung in the lower ends of the long arms of the lever- G which is fulcrumed above and has a short arm-'(shovvnin Fig. 3) which engages the stem ofthe valve wand inits normal osition holds the valve unseated. The plvot piece g has upright arms r 1' (Fig. 2). whlch engage projections from- A the sleeves 7' j respectively and serve to connect them together. The compressed airv pressure against the valve n\which is unbalanced, provides the motive force for operatA ing the unlocking mechanism, 5 The partsare held locked until the pawl pis lifted, as described, whereupon theA air pressure causes the nartsto move vsuddenly from the osition shown in Fig. 3\ to that shown in ig. .6." This operation thus unmeshes .the pin'- ythe sleeve. Y pivoted to theixed support 16, so that the meiner ions, unlocks the gyroscope, and closes the valve n to., stop the air flow. The withdrawal of the'locking bolt g, which has a tail passing through the pivot piece g (see Fig. 6), is accomplished by the pivot piece g striking a collar g on this tail. There is suiicient lost motion here provided to Iinsure that the pinions shall be displaced in advance of the unlocking, the latter operation not occurring until near the end of the.

movement.

The timing train 11'-l4f inclusive is carried by a support s which is fastened to the sleeve j', so that when the unlocking movement occurs this entire train is moved with The segment 15, however, is

unlocking movement simply carries the terminal pinion 14 away from the segment 15, whereupon the latter drops to its initial position. To restore-the parts for another opera-tion consequently it is only necessary to push the displaced' shafts D D back to' their original position (having first restored the gyroscope to its normal position), whereupon the pinion 'la will again mesh with the segment 15 and the pawl p will drop into engagement with the locking tooth p.

The general construction and operation of this timing 'and vunlocking' mechanism is similar to those heretofore known, but it presents some diferences in specific construction and arrangement which are indicated in the claims.

The invention maybe varied in construction without departing from its essential fea-tures. A

I claim as my invention l. The combination with a gyros'cope dy- Wheel having a pinion, of a plurality of driving shafts having pinions meshing Symmetrically with said pinion whereby to balance the driving torque..

2. The combination with a gyroscope fiy` wheel having a pinion, of a plurality of driving shafts having pinions engaging said pinion on diametrically opposite sides, and

means for imparting an equal rotative effort 'to the driving shafts.

3. The combination with a gyroscope dywheel having a pinion, of two like drivingshafts on opposite sides thereof having pinions engaging said pinion and having fluid pressure turbines for driving them.

a. The combination with a gyroscope iiy- Wheel having a pinion, of two driving shafts there or, a catch normally hol ing them against displacement, and a timing device adapted to release said catch after a. predetermined interval.

6. A gyroscope spinning mechanism comprising twin driving shafts, sliding bearings therefor, a gyrosoope lock, a timing mechanism, and a catch normally holding 'the lock and driving shafts in operative engagement with the gyroscope and to be released by the operation of the timing mechanism. v y

7. A gyroscope spinning mechanism comprising twin driving shafts, sliding bearings therefor, a gyroscope lock, an air valve, a lever engaging said valve and receiving the stress of air pressure therefrom, a pivot piece hung from said lever and engaging said sliding bearings and lock, and means for releasing s-aid parts at the end of a pre determined movement.

8. A gyroscope spinning mechanism comprising turbine-driven driving shafts, an air valve, an intervening double lever, and a 'pivot piece hung therefrom and engaging said shafts and lever.

-in witness whereof, l have hereunto signed my name.-

FRANK M. LEA.VlITT 

